San Luis Obispo County Investigation
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«***£ DAVIS Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of California, Davis Libraries http://archive.org/details/sanluisobispocou181cali ft-sis I STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DIVISION OF RESOURCES PLANNING STATE WATER RESOURCES BOARD BULLETIN NO. 18 Volume I TEXT AND PLATES SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY INVESTIGATION GOODWIN J. KNIGHT HARVEY O. BANKS Governor Director of Water Resources UNlVhKSITY OF CAU DAVIS May, 1958 L STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES DIVISION OF RESOURCES PLANNING STATE WATER RESOURCES BOARD BULLETIN NO. 18 SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY INVESTIGATION Volume I TEXT AND PLATES GOODWIN J. KNIGHT |%^fS^5Bl HARVEY O. BANKS '':-. > Governor \ \ i ':^kM$<?j?l Director of Water Resources May, 1958 -P \7?V ^ RNiX . TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, STATE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES . xiii ACKNOWLEDGMENT . .. • xiv ORGANIZATION, CALIFORNIA WATER COMMISSION . * * ....... xv ORGANIZATION, STATE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES ....... xvi OBGANIZATION, COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS • e c & o # * • e • o * • •999 xviii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Authorization for Investigation *•«»£> 909OO 2 Related Investigations and Reports « o • • • o <?•••» 9 o o a h Scope of Investigation and Report • 8 Area Under Investigation »»• *•«*•*«« *•••#••«* » 1U Drainage Basins • «« <>•«•••<>« O0««0*»*0 « • C Ik U-Lirna i»e oo • oo»*o«*ooo6o 17 Geology ••••••«•«•••• . 18 OOXJ.S *co.*ooo »•«». o»» 19 Present Development •••••*«•• 21 Hydrologic Units • ••«••*•»•••• »•»»•» 26 CHAPTER II WATER SUPPLY 28 Precipitation cooft*««o»o«oo9* • •oo«e»*9«t< 30 Precipitation Stations and Records • <, « • • • O O 30 Precipitation Characteristics O o « n o • • • ••0 9<?#« 35 Runoff o . OOO'.*»Ofcc09O«OO««»»OC»Or>»9 • iiO Stream Gaging Stations and Records la Runoff Characteristics •••••. k$ has. III! V Quantity of fas&bSt • ««••«• .»....©*.><..*«, U8 Major Exchanges «t Ifeter o o » © « ..- a * »• » „„.<*<».*.. 5^ Underground Hydrology * -© c © * « » © * t 4 i ............ „ 53 »'•• Upper Salinas Unit «'*«- «"t » .<* * f.-.^ ,* * '*'•*.•»»,** * 62 Pa&o Robl«B Basin * » *©«.»«• « * © « « ,. e » « < . , . « Peso Basin and . Miscellaneous Ground o (C- to '. - a- o I^OU-TC^H* O O « a * O c- [ • * . Coast ai a © » » * a «. , . » .. - - - ,. ...... 67 Cambria Subviiri t o*.©*©. *..»•***»•«*..„ 6t' San Luis Obispo £ubuniv, «<-« • a * © » •;».'.% © * * * „ * . * 70 *''.*-„» Arroyo Grande Subunit » * ;• * « 4 «• * * * * * * . » 4 73 Santa Maria Unit © © © , < »»..<-, „ »©•*««« . s „ . „ 77 Guyana Unit » o • © e * e . © < ...»,.... © • • * . • . 78 Carilzo Plain Unit * © . © » * * * » .. t. » . c « „, , . „ . 79 San Joaquin Unit ©••>;. * •> © c * * o ..<*„.,..« e „<,„. „ 3<-? - '» Quality of Mater 9 > «* 9 # s » >* * » o <» » * * • %. 4 * # » .* ,* 03 ( Standards of Vteter Quality » © © © » * » * * . s . s , , .. „ 81* Irrigation Use » © * © * © o » * « -.. «.*.».«„<.(. <* CI4 Domestic and Municipal Tme „ , * * . » , , i . , „ 87 ,&-*.-•»• '*>•>' '#••* Industrial ties * * » * - * * v - »- « « » * 89 Quality of Surmise Mater © © * o © © . * * . ,.,..«, 90 Quality of Groutid. Jator © © © <, ©©.»..«.-,..,. o . <> 9h Sources of Impairment of Hates' Quality *. • « * .« « : .> **«#,» 97 Natural Souroee it t • .> > ,a .* «.* ........ Domestic Sei«ege . © * * » * » • ».,.,...> « 1 # ».,* • ?9 Irrigation Return ©.©.,,.,.... 90 Industrial Wastes .................... 100 Sea-Water Intrusion . o <> . o . o . 100 CHAPTER III. WATER UTILIZATION AND REQUIREMENTS 102 Present Water Supply Development . o . • . 105 Major Water Supply Developments . , . 105 Water Service Agencies . <> . > . 110 Appropriation of Water .................... 11^ Dams Under State Supervision o = . 115 JjCLDCL U S6 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo© X J.O XTrcSGIlTi jjfiUP U Sc 0OO»0OO000O«OO 00000*000 XXO X Probable Ultimate Pattern of Land Use ............ 120 UDXT> U S6 OX TlCLvQT' O O O O O O OOOOOOOOOOOO O O o o o X^& ". Unit Values of Consumptive Use . „ . » » . 132 Units of Applied Water o . • ...... • . 138 Water Requirements . „ . <> ................. 1^3 Present Water Requirements . «... a . ......... ikk Probable Ultimate Water Requirements ............. 1^5 Future Water Requirements of the City of San Luis Obispo . lk$ Monthly Demands for Water ..................... 150 Supplemental Water Requirements .................. 152 Present Supplemental Water Requirements ........... 153 Probable Ultimate Supplemental Water Requirements ...... 15^ CHAPTER IV. PLANS FOR WATER SUPPLY DEVELOPMENT 156 Plans for Local Conservation Development ............. 159 Further Development of Ground Water Storage ......... l60 iii 1 Page Potential Surface Storage Developments .o<.« o 0(. o. 162 Lower Jack Dam and Reservoir <, « n « • « • « . „ . 172 Santa Rita Dam and Reservoir ».•<>. « „ . <, 178 San Miguelito Dam and Reservoir O0 o« e 96 <, o«o iQk Jarrett Shut -In Dam and Reservoir ,o 80 o c.«,ooo 4 191 Bald Top Dam and Reservoir « . „ « . » . <, <, e « o . 200 Upper Ragged Point Dam and Reservoir . » <. » » 207 Yellow Hill Dam and Reservoir «. „ e « « » « e «, . «, * 213 San Simeon Dam and Reservoir ° . « » e • « . o <> • <, 221 Santa Rosa Dam and Reservoir . > „ „ « „ « . * <, . » » 227 Whale Rock Dam and Reservoir , » . <, o <, <, • « . » <> . 23*+ Lopez Dam and Reservoir . „ «. „ » « . » . <> « » . 242 Alternative Plans for Water Supply Development » «, « . « . 2^9 Jack Creek and Santa Rita Projects » . • . • « » . « . « . « 25^ Nacimiento Projects ». e ,oo«coor,.ooeo»oc. 255 L"Oasx>aj_ Jrrojecus e©»©«e©a«oooo©©©e©ooooe dip . Whale Rock Project <> 8 <,»<> . o <, o o » «©...> » n » 26 Organizational and Financial Aspects of Water Resources Development « e <> 8 <> « <> <> o e <, » e <> <> * <> « <> 263 Plans for Importation of Water . » . = <, s « <, « . « » . 26> Featner River Project o«ooo6«o«eooo««ooooo 2o,' Other Units of the California Aqueduct System • <, • « . 2 68 rJ-OOQ. L'On"trol ooo©oeeoo»t>ooe«>oooooooe€>oo« <— f 2 Upper Salinas River Valley » a • . » a . e » » •> © o • e * ° 27 3 Arroyo Grande Valley «.o©eooe« 8a «o«io©oooeo 27^ Santa Maria River Valley . <> © ooooooooooaooooo iv Page CHAPTER V. SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 282 Summary of Conclusions ...................... 282 Recommendations .......................... 288 TABLES Table No . Page 1 Summary of Climatological Data for Selected Stations in San Luis Obispo County and Vicinity ...... 18 2 Population of Incorporated Cities, San Luis Obispo County ...................... 22 3 Areas of Hydrologic Units and Subunits ......... 27 k Maximum, Minimum and Mean Seasonal Precipitation at Selected Stations in San Luis Obispo County .... 32 5 Recorded and Estimated Seasonal Precipitation at Selected Stations in San Luis Obispo County and Vicinity ................... 37 6 Mean Monthly Distribution of Precipitation at Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo ............ ^0 7 Stream Gaging Stations in San Luis Obispo County and Vicinity ..................... ^3 8 Average Monthly Distribution of Seasonal Natural Runoff of Nacimiento River and Arroyo Grande Creek During Base Period, 1935 -3°" Through 1950-51 ...................... kj 9 Estimated Seasonal Natural Runoff in Selected Streams in San Luis Obispo County During Base Period, 1935-36 Through 1950-51 ....... U9 10 Major Exchanges of Water Between Hydrologic Units in San Luis Obispo County .............. 52 11 Summary of Characteristics of Selected Ground Water Basins in San Luis Obispo County . ....... 60 12 Estimated Presently Developed and Maximum Safe Seasonal Yield of Ground Water Supplies in Portions of San Luis Obispo County and Vicinity . 6l 13 Mineral Analyses of Surface Waters at Selected Stations in San Luis Obispo County ........ 92 Ik Typical Mineral Analyses of Ground Waters in San Luis Obispo County ................... 95 vi Table No . 15 Historic Diversions and Releases From Salinas ri6s srvoir 000000000 a o o o o o • 000 o » # jLeLm 16 Organized Water Agencies in San Luis Obispo County, Xy^lX o o * o • o o 0000c 0000 00 00 © o © * JLX (L 17 Present Water Service Areas in San Luis Obispo County, X./J J> 0009009000009000 000000^0 JLJ_0 18 Land Classification Standards o <> o » . » » » . » . 122 19 Classification of Irrigable Lands in San Luis Obispo wO\iriVy" > J.ypti X C. ( i ooooooooooooouoo oooo 20 Probable Ultimate Water Service Areas in San Luis Obispo wOuilujr o#ooo©ooo 90000000*00000 J-^Jl 21 Estimated Unit Values of Mean Seasonal Consumptive Use of Water in San Luis Obispo County <> . » o <, » <. « 137 22 Measured Average Seasonal Application of Irrigation Water on Representative Crops in San Luis Obispo wOUil uV ooo»oooooooooo • OOOO 0000 X.J/ 23 Estimated Irrigation Efficiencies Under Present and Probable Ultimate Conditions of Development in San Luis Obispo County 00000.000000000 lUl 2k Estimated Mean Seasonal Units of Applied Water in San Luis Obispo County Under Present Conditions of jJ€V6J_ 0piri6n"C 00*000000 00000 o 00 0000 Xli'L. 25 Estimated Present Mean Seasonal Water Requirements in San Luis Obispo County 000000000000000 lli5 26 Estimated Probable Ultimate Mean Seasonal Water Requirements in San Luis Obispo County . ° o » IkQ 27 Estimated Average Monthly Distribution of Seasonal Demand for Water in San Luis Obispo County o o » o 152 28 Estimated Presently Developed and Maximum Practicable Safe Yield of Ground Water Supplies in Portions of San Luis Obispo County and Vicinity » ° ° . o . • l6l 29 Recorded and Estimated Seasonal Runoff During Base Period at Selected Dam Sites in San Luis